


Numbers and Letters

by AnnieVH



Series: Behind Closed Doors [20]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Funeral, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Nostalgia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-29
Updated: 2014-11-29
Packaged: 2018-02-27 09:23:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2687573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieVH/pseuds/AnnieVH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle and Mr. Gold talk about business. And then get nostalgic. Set right after Unfamiliar Faces.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Numbers and Letters

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to fill this prompt (http://rumbelleprompts.tumblr.com/post/90082568530/rumple-milah-neal-belle-tw-domestic) for a while now, so I decided to do it as one-shots pertaining to the same verse (Behind Closed Doors), since I lack the attention span for multi-chapter. If anybody wants to send me ideas and prompts, I need them very much.
> 
> A companion piece for this picspam (http://annievh.tumblr.com/post/102166515522/behind-closed-doors-warnings-domestic-abuse).
> 
> Pairings for this verse: eventual Rumbelle and Swanfire.  
> Warnings for this verse: abusive relationship, implied non-con situations, child-abuse, violence, infidelity, very anti-Milah.
> 
> A HUGE THANKS to Maddie for betaing it so fast!

Despite Mr. Gold being right in front of her, the quietness of the office was so relaxing that she allowed herself to close her eyes and lean against the door she had just closed behind them. Contrasting with the chatting atmosphere in the diner, the silence was a blessing.

“If I am not mistaken, I once saved you from a very similar situation,” Mr. Gold said, not bothered at all by her discomposure.

“Yes,” Belle sighed, opening her eyes and looking at him. “But in that occasion, he was trying to get me to  _stay_  in Storybrooke.”

“One would think he’d eventually give up.”

“I don’t know if you remember Gaston very well, but he can be quite relentless.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know much about Gaston. But I do recall you can be quite stubborn yourself. Isn’t that why the boys used to call you Lady Belle?”

She gave him a small smile. “The proudest moment of my childhood.”

He nodded, smiling back at her. “As it should be.”

“Though if you ask my dad, he’d say I should-”

She stopped herself.

Right.

 _That_.

She stood still, letting grief claim her mind once again. Mr. Gold’s smile acquired a little hint of pity. She waited for comforting words with a feeling of dread. She needed a break from them even more than she needed a break from Gaston.

Instead, he turned and pulled the chair in front of Granny’s paper packed desk.

“Would you like to sit?”

Belle walked quietly to the chair, and then fell heavily on it, allowing exhaustion to get the best of her.

Mr. Gold looked around, but the office was small and the only vacant chair was on the other side of the desk. He threw her a glance, as if about to ask her if she minded he took that chair in particular. But then probably realized he was being silly and just sat down.

Belle watched him without saying a word. His limp was more accentuated now than it had been when she left, eight years before. However, as far as she remembered, that really depended on the day, and maybe tomorrow it would be barely noticeable. There were a few more wrinkles on his face, but he looked more tired than old. How old was he supposed to be now? He was younger than her father, that much she knew. Forty six? No, eighteen years older than Baelfire. Forty eight.

“That was a beautiful bouquet you made,” he said, interrupting her thoughts.

Belle looked up. “I’m sorry?”

He explained, “You did a bouquet for Colette. I just assumed you’d do the same for your father.”

“I did.”

“It was beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“Would make your father proud.”

The remark escaped her lips before she could stop it. “At least one thing.”

He tried to comfort her immediately, “I’m sure he-”

“I didn’t just ask you in here to escape my ex-boyfriend,” she cut in. A break. She needed a break.

The abruptness caught him off guard, but he respected her decision to change the subject. “Yes?”

“I did find some papers on my father’s desk. And I believe he had a debt with you.”

He raised a hand. “That’s not something we need to discuss now.”

“I would rather do it anyway.”

“It’s a been a difficult day for you. I don’t believe in doing business when you’re emotional-”

“Why do people keep assuming I’m emotional? I’m fine!” she snapped.

He went quiet.

 _Yes_ , she thought to herself,  _you’re a picture of good mental health, Lady Belle._

“I’m sorry.”

“No,” he said. “I’m the one who should be sorry. You’re right. He was your father and these are your things. You know what you need.”

Her sigh was a thankful sound.

In a voice that was practical, but not stripped from kindness, he told her, “It was a ten thousand dollar debt. He was behind on payment. We agreed that, if he didn’t come up with the sum by the end of the month, I’d take the van as collateral.”

Belle waited for him to demand something from her.

Instead, he asked, “Do you know what you want to do?”

“I think I can come up with the money as soon as the paperwork is done.”

“Or I could take the van.”

“I don’t think the van would quite cover it.”

He shrugged. “It was still our agreement. Unless it has sentimental value.”

“It doesn’t,” she answered, though the memory of her father teaching her how to drive flashed through her mind. Another thing she wasn’t particularly talented at. And the gear always got stuck.

 _That’s okay, honey, you can’t be perfect at everything_.

Mr. Gold interrupted her father’s voice. “Then, it’s settled. You can come to the shop this week so we can take care of the paperwork.”

“I’ll give you the keys to the shop as well.”

“Are you sure you want me to have property back? You could make some money renting the place yourself. It’s a good location and I’ve already got some calls from interested parties. I could give you their names.”

“I think that would work better if I stayed in town.”

“And you’re going back to Australia.”

Wasn’t a question, but she still felt the urge to answer, “no”. She repressed it.

“Even so,” he continued, “I could manage it for you. Wouldn’t cost you much, and it’s always good to have a source of income you can rely on when times get hard.”

“I’m not sure I’m going back.”

He blinked at her sudden confession. “Then it works out, doesn’t it?”

Belle thought on it. “I’ll let you know when I come to your shop.” Though she wasn’t sure she could fulfill that promise. How can one make such a big decision in so little time?

He said, “Alright.”

“Alright. I believe that was it.” She eyed the door. “I’m not sure how long it’s going to take for Ruby to get rid of him, but I should probably stay here for a while.”

“Yes, probably.”

He didn’t move from his chair.

Belle pressed gently. “I don’t want to keep you.”

Mr. Gold understood what she meant by that. After a week long of being surrounded by people with good intentions, she’d really appreciate it if he could grant her a moment of peace and solitude. “I’m sorry. I just assumed that, if I left, he’d come in.”

Belle looked horrified. “Good thinking.”

He waited for her to make a decision. The prospect of Gaston cornering her in that office was unpleasant on itself. But sitting in silence with a man she hardly knew anymore was not much better either.

She asked, “How is Baelfire?”

Her heart wasn’t in the question, but anything would be better than awkward silence.

“He’s fine,” he answered. “He’s still in New York.”

“I heard he’s a famous artist, just like he wanted.”

Mr. Gold smiled with pride. “Well, he’s a very talented illustrator.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He illustrates children’s books. But he’s trying to get into graphic novels.” He rolled his eyes as if he didn’t get it.

Belle smiled with a little more sincerity. “You never liked books with pictures very much.”

“You remember that.”

“Remember? I still regret we had to cut that debate short.”

“I’ll tell Bae to bring some of his work next time he visits me.”

“Does his son like his pictures?”

“He does. When he was five, he wouldn’t read anything unless Bae illustrated it.”

“That’s sweet. What is his name again?”

“Henry. He’s almost eleven now.”

Belle whistled. “Wow. Time flies. Do you see him very often?”

“Not as much as I’d like to. But I try to fly there at least once a month to see them.”

“Did they get married?”

“No. He’s still with Emma, though. I suppose marriage is for old men like me.”

“And how is your wife?”

Something in her tone gave her away.

His smile was joyless. “Town is getting better at spreading gossip quickly.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“She’s fine,” he answered, after a moment, trying not to sound offended. “We’re fine. It will be our thirtieth anniversary next month.”

“I’m happy to know.”

“And how about you? Did your life turn out like you expected?”

She had been wondering upon that question herself for the past few days. She gave him her best conclusion: “I did go to college. So that’s good.”

“Did you get to see the world?”

“That part didn’t work out so well,” she said, a little disappointed. “As it turns out, you need money to travel the world, and I didn’t make much of it working in my uncle’s bookshop. And as it turns out, teaching isn’t really something I’m good at.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Children are quite scary.”

He chuckled. “Can’t argue with that.”

“On my first day in a classroom as a substitute, I ran into the Principal’s office crying.”

He hissed.

“Yes. I suppose learning English was a pitiful mistake.”

“It’s never a mistake to get an education.”

“In my case, I believe it was. I just assumed I’d spend a lot of time with books and inspire children to read the classics. Maybe I’d even write my own stories.” She shrugged. “Not the way it goes, it seems. I didn’t have much to write about in Australia.”

“Still, you finished college. You should be proud.”

“I suppose. What did you major in?”

He didn’t seem to understand her question for a moment. Then realization hit him and he said, “Ah, I didn’t go the college.” The look on her face must have given away how startled she was by that, because he blushed. “Bae was born when I was eighteen. It’s hard to go to school and raise a child. And support a family. But I finished high school, so… that’s a good thing.”

Belle took his ranting as a sign that she had touched on a delicate subject.

“I always assumed you had majored in Math, or something like that.”

He stared at her, confused.

“You could do big multiplications in your head.”

Mr. Gold looked at her as if she were crazy. “I can’t do  _big_  multiplications.”

“Yes, you can. I’ve seen it. On a few occasions, actually.”

“I can’t remember one.”

“You used to help us with our homework all the time.”

“That’s not a big multiplication. That’s adding and subtracting.”

“Well, I still can’t do adding and subtracting without a calculator. And even then, it’s a struggle. Surely you remember how long it took me to sum up the price of a dozen roses.”

His eyes shifted. “Wasn’t that long.”

Belle smirked. He was such a terrible liar. “Because you’d take pity on me and tell me how much it was. Or to keep the change. And!” she continued, before he could protest. “I’ve seen you do your accounting with nothing but pen and paper.”

“Yes,” he nodded, with a little smile. “That, I admit, is a little… impressive.” Belle wanted to argue it was a little  _more_  than impressive, taking into consideration that he owned most of town, kept a pawnshop and loaned money on a regular basis, but he didn’t give her the chance. “In your defense, you studied English. Clearly you were not made for numbers.”

“Don’t judge me, or else I’ll have to recite every possible sonnet I can think of to defend my honor.”

He raised his hands, admitting defeat.

“Clearly I can’t take over the flower shop.”

“You can always find someone to do the accounting for you.”

“No, I’m not like my dad. Or you. I don’t have a head for business.” She thought on it. “I really don’t have a reason to stay,” she stated, surprised to find out she had been looking for one.

“This town was always too small for you. And Bae.”

He spoke with kindness, which was an unfamiliar feeling. Father would usually say the same words with resentment. If it had been up to him, she’d have stayed behind the flower shop counter, helping out the family business. Probably married to Gaston.

“Yes, well,” she said, looking down to cover the sorrow that was spreading in her chest. “I don’t think Sidney’s much better at the moment. Bigger city, same prospects.”

“You could live somewhere else.”

She couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice when she asked, “Where? Doing what?”

He answered with simplicity. “Something will come up.”

Belle thought about it. Then looked up.

Something in her eyes made him ask, “What?”

“You always did believe in us.”

That surprised him. “I’m sorry?”

“Bae, Graham and me,” she explained. “Not once you said we wouldn’t make it.”

Mr. Gold shrugged as if the matter was simple. “You never gave me reason to doubt you.”

Her eyes glistened. “Two out of three, right?”

Mr. Gold admired her face for a moment. When the first tear fell down her cheek, he leaned forward, a hand reaching to brush it off her face. But he pulled back when someone knocked on the door. Belle wiped her tears herself.

She said, “Come in.”

Ruby opened the door. “He’s gone. Everybody is leaving.”

“Thank you, Ruby.”

Mr. Gold got up. “I should probably leave as well.” He walked around the desk and place a hand on Belle’s shoulder. “Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything, my dear.”

Belle didn’t want to say another word. It would sound broken and lost. So she placed her hand on top of his. He tensed, but didn’t pull away.

“Everything will work out, you’ll see,” he said.

Then, his hand slipped from under her fingers and the tapping of his cane died down the corridor.

“Are you okay?” Ruby asked.

“No.”

“Right. Stupid question.”

“Can you tell everybody that I’m-”

“I’ll take care of everything. You just wait here.”

Ruby left and Belle felt the silence echoing in her ears.

Before, she had thought silence would be healing. But now she felt so desperately lonely.

**Author's Note:**

> A list of all one-shots in verse chronological order can be found here: http://annievh.tumblr.com/post/102166515522/behind-closed-doors-warnings-domestic-abuse


End file.
